This week will be a Gamechanger.

[View this email in your browser]( Michael’s Monday Motivation How often can you wake up on a Monday and know that your life will be different because of this past weekend and because of the days ahead? That's the feeling for many around the country. Maybe your college survived and advanced in March Madness or you're getting ready to say Play Ball at an Opening Day. You could be in DC for the America Votes State Summit or attend a historic night with 3 Presidents this Thursday in NY. Treat this final full week of March as one that will change your life forever. It starts by recognizing that some things in life are not a game but you are a GAMECHANGER. Ticket sales end Monday, March 25th (today) at 5PM ET. [Get Your Tickets Now!]( Join the online rally for mifepristone on Tuesday, March 26 On Tuesday, March 26, the majority anti-abortion Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine – a case seeking to revoke the FDA’s approval of the abortion medication mifepristone. This is the most significant abortion rights case since the devastating reversal of Roe v. Wade. Mediation abortions are the most common form of abortion care. If the justices rule against the FDA, people will have a much harder time accessing mifepristone nationwide – even if you live in a state where abortion is legal or protected! The National Partnership will be rallying alongside our allies outside the steps of the Supreme Court on Tuesday to defend mifepristone and our fundamental right to control our own bodies. But you don't have to show up at the Supreme Court to show up for the abortion rights rally on Tuesday.  [Sign up to receive exclusive access to a special day-of-action toolkit]( that we're preparing to help our supporters raise their voices and rally with us from anywhere in the country.  Your online toolkit will include: - Sample messaging and graphics to share on social media (as well as guidance on messaging to avoid using) - Easy actions you can take to urge your members of Congress to support abortion rights legislation - Suggestions for organizations to follow on social media and where to donate - And more [Please fill out this brief form to receive access to the day-of-action toolkit.]( [Request a Toolkit]( Weekly KAIROS Conversation - Celebrating & Supporting KAIROS Women We’d like to open the floor for our special women’s history month KAIROS Conversation to any Women that would like to speak on Wednesday. Please email carin@atlasstrategy.group so that we’re able to provide time and space for our KAIROS Women! See you Wednesday! Wednesday, March 27 · 1:00pm – 2:00pm EST Video call link: [( Or dial: ‪(US) +1 651-571-1259‬ PIN: ‪460 226 103‬# More phone numbers: [ [Join us on Wednesday]( [KAIROS: Democracy Project Battleground Briefing RSVP]( Our Time. Our Moment. Our Democracy. KAIROS: DEMOCRACY PROJECT exists to promote social welfare and civic betterment by mobilizing and engaging Communities of Color and Young Adults through Issue Advocacy and awareness on the impact of safeguarding our Democracy on their everyday lives. From deploying local Influencers and surrogates of Color from the KAIROS Communications war room to hosting KAIROS CONVERSATION Listen & Learns to executing a targeted media and message mobilization, the KAIROS: DEMOCRACY PROJECT will be the go to place for engaging Leaders of Color around Issues and Democracy in the country, not just for one election but for future generations. Join the fight for Democracy by helping us mobilize and engage Communities of Color and Young Adults through Issue Advocacy and awareness on the impact of safeguarding our Democracy on our everyday lives. [$50 ⮕]( [$500 ⮕]( [$100 ⮕]( [$1000 ⮕]( [$250 ⮕]( [Other ⮕]( The full poll memo is [here]( and a [brief on Black voters responses]( was just released. The Hill did a great piece on the results: [Black voters in key swing states want to see criminal justice reform.]( Here is a [social toolkit]( for our supporters to help get the word out about these results! NEW: NATIONAL AND KEY SWING STATE POLLS SHOW STRONG SUPPORT FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORMS WITH HIGHEST SUPPORT AMONG BLACK VOTERS Voters nationwide and in Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania indicate overwhelming support for reforms that address mass incarceration WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an extremely fractured and politically polarizing time, newly released polling shows that support for criminal justice reform - and specifically for reducing the number of people in jail and prison - remains high across parties, with majorities of Republicans and Independents saying that it is important, and with particularly high support from Democrats and Black voters. The national poll, conducted by BSG on behalf of FWD.us, sampled likely and unlikely voters nationwide and oversampled Black voters. It was complemented by three state polls in key swing states with large populations of Black voters in Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, and was fielded between February 13-20, 2024.  Despite much hand-wringing about how both the realities and the politics of crime defined elections over the past two years, high support for criminal justice reform has remained largely unchanged since FWD.us conducted a similar poll in 2022. Voters in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan support reform just as much or more as the national average. While public opinion research consistently shows Black voters take safety and crime in their communities more seriously than the average voter, any assumption that they have abandoned their commitment to reducing incarceration is not borne out by the data. Black voters remain both motivated by and committed to criminal justice reform, and specifically to reducing the number of people in jail and prison. The detailed poll memo and national & state toplines can be viewed [here]( and [here](. Key findings from the poll include: - Overwhelming support for criminal justice reforms remains high across all political parties, with majorities of Republicans and Independents supporting reform, and with support especially high with Democrats and Black voters - Voters strongly supported specific policies that would reduce jail and prison populations including sentencing reforms, parole reforms, pretrial reforms and, especially, the First Step Act remains astoundingly popular - Nationally, 67% of likely Black voters say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supported criminal justice reform, compared to only 8% who would be less likely - Voters (particularly Black voters) say mass incarceration causes many of the issues that lead to unsafe communities such as homelessness, poverty, and drug and mental health challenges; and voters across political parties believe that most elected officials talking about crime rates are playing politics with the issue of public safety “Black voters from across the country recognize the shortcomings of our current criminal justice system - failing to rehabilitate people, not reducing crime, and ignoring pressing social problems that continue to go unrecognized,” said Rena Karefa-Johnson, Vice President, National Initiatives at FWD.us. “There’s clear opportunity for candidates to embrace meaningful reform, but it is essential to put actions over rhetoric as voters have continued to say they will support elected leaders that put community safety, reuniting families, and justice at the forefront of policy-making.” “The vast majority of voters - around 78% - support criminal justice reform, and they want elected leaders to reduce incarceration and follow evidence-based solutions that actually make communities safer,” said Shannon-Janean Currie, Vice President at BSG. “Voters recognize that these solutions - like funding mental health and substance use treatment, access to education, re-entry programs, and access to safe and affordable housing, rather than relying on the failed mass incarceration policies of the past - are the interventions that truly strengthens communities. “Mass incarceration continues to be one of the single largest threats to civil rights in this country so it should be no surprise that Black voters remain deeply committed to and motivated by criminal justice reform,” said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League. “We cannot afford to return to the failed “tough on crime” narratives and policies that ballooned our jail and prison populations, disproportionately harming Black communities. Candidates who claim to support racial justice must also stand firmly behind commitments to advance criminal justice reform and end mass incarceration.” “We deserve Justice; We deserve Safety; We deserve Democracy. We should not be forced to decide between the three,” said Michael Blake, Founder & CEO, KAIROS: Democracy Project & Atlas Strategy Group, Former Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee and New York Assembly Member. “The powerful poll results from FWD.us prove that Democrats can run on the policy of embracing criminal justice reforms because it will not run away voters. We can decrease mass incarceration while we increase public safety. We can strengthen the economy while not being weak on our values. We can do policy and politics together so that Communities of Color come together to vote for Democrats.” “It’s time for politicians to wake up and realize people are done voting for “tough on crime” candidates whose “lock em up” ideas always backfire. The continued popularity of Trump’s First Step Act proves that smart reform is still a winner across party lines. Black voters want safer streets— and this poll shows they see a fairer, smaller and more focused justice system as the best way to go,” said Van Jones, Dream Machine Innovation Lab. “These poll results demonstrate what many of us who have been organizing Black, brown and working-class communities already knew: voters have never stopped demanding more freedom and more justice from our broken criminal legal system. The movement to end failed “tough on crime narratives” came out of the communities most ravaged by them. If Democrats want to win, they need to stand firmly behind criminal justice reform,” said Maurice Mitchell, National Director of the Working Families Party. “These poll results reflect what I have consistently heard as someone who has spent over 25 years speaking to, organizing and uplifting the voices of Black voters, and especially Black voters in the South: we want real criminal justice reform that brings people home and transforms our unjust criminal system,” said LaTosha Brown, Co-Founder of Black Voters Matter Fund and Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute and Founder of Southern Black Girls & Women's Consortium. “For far too long, Black communities have borne the brunt of the ways in which harsh sentences and mass incarceration harm and destabilize communities and families, without making us any safer. Black voters have a clear understanding that we deserve more freedom and justice from our elected officials, and that those efforts are critical to the work of building and investing in safe, thriving communities.” About FWD.us: [FWD.us]( is a bipartisan political organization that believes America’s families, communities, and economy thrive when more individuals are able to achieve their full potential. For too long, our failed immigration and criminal justice systems have locked too many people out of the American dream. Founded by leaders in the technology and business communities, we seek to grow and galvanize political support to break through gridlock and achieve meaningful reforms. Together, we can move America forward. Your Input Needed for Upcoming Advocacy Efforts. This contribution will be pivotal in enhancing grassroots community-based development organizations' capacity to build affordable housing and generate economic wealth in underserved communities. The People & Place Collaborative, established in 2013, is led by [NACEDA]( [NALCAB]( and [National CAPACD]( and the Collaborative is asking community-based development organizations to play a role in our upcoming advocacy efforts. Our efforts support grassroots advocacy and community development on a national level.  The Collaborative is preparing for a strategic Hill Day in May 2024, issuing a sign-on letter to protect the CRA New Rule, and organizing a prominent Summit for community-based development organizations in Washington, D.C., in 2025. We are mobilizing support and gathering insights in four key policy areas: - Affordable Housing - Small Business Entrepreneurship - Community Development - Equitable Access and Representation on advisory, regulatory, and governance committees Your organization's experiences are invaluable for these events. To facilitate the collection of your information, I've prepared a Google Form for you to tell us how our policy agenda aligns or may with your organization's work. [Please take a moment to fill out this Google Form]( *Reference these document links to the [Policy Agenda]( the [Congressional Committee Excel Sheet]( to guide your responses. [For Your Information and Immediate Action: Protecting the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA)]( A pressing component of our advocacy is protecting the newly updated Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) New Rule, which now faces opposition from [banking associations](. The New Rule is crucial for promoting fair lending practices and economic justice in communities. We will be issuing a sign-on letter urging banks to drop their lawsuit against the CRA Regulators, an effort vital for community development nationwide. Please indicate in the form if you'd like to join the sign-on letter or learn more about the issue. If you have any questions, please email Dawne Troupe at dtroupe@naceda.org. Thank you for considering this request. Your participation is greatly appreciated! We're getting closer to Take Down Tobacco National Day of Action on April 1st, and we want to make sure you're ready to participate! [Activity Resources and Ideas]( Upcoming KAIROS Conversations March 27 Celebrating & Supporting KAIROS Women Save the Dates March 28 NYC Biden, Obama and Clinton Joint Fundraiser April 3-April 7 The Transformative Justice Coalition Presents: Gen Z & Millennial Votes Matter Training Phoenix, AZ HBCU All-Star 2024 Paid Leadership Opportunity All Expenses Paid $500 Fellowship Stipend Ages 18-35 [Read More]( April 14-15 Collective PAC Black Leadership Summit Los Angeles, CA [Read more]( April 14-15 NewDeal Forum Ideas Summit Phoenix Arizona[Read more]( April 19-20The Collective PAC[Black Leadership Summit]( April 26 KAIROS@African American Mayors Association Atlanta, GA[Register here]( April 25-May 5 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival New Orleans, LA[Read more]( Date TBD (Likely late April or May)[Du Bois Freedom Center]( Event With Special Guest TBA KAIROS "a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action : the opportune and decisive MOMENT" "The right or critical MOMENT" [Facebook icon]( [Instagram icon]( [Website icon]( [YouTube icon]( [LinkedIn icon]( Copyright (C) 2024 Atlas Strategy Group. 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